


Paper Hearts

by flickerthenflare



Category: Glee
Genre: Anniversary, Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Future Fic, Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-02 22:43:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5266589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flickerthenflare/pseuds/flickerthenflare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Paper anniversaries aren’t meant to be extravagant, but Kurt and Blaine don’t know any other way to be. </p><p>Happy Klaine anniversary, everyone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paper Hearts

It’s mid-October when Blaine declares, “In less than a month, we’ll have been married for a whole year.”

His voice lilts in the pronouncement, proud but trying not to brag too hard. Presumably, Blaine thinks of it because of the engagement ring ad that interrupts the groove they bust while cleaning the apartment. Kurt tries to fit “Single Ladies” moves to it anyway, wedding ring covered by yellow rubber gloves from scrubbing the bath tub. Presumably, the undanceable radio ad is to blame, but Kurt knows the truth: if Blaine is mentioning it, that means he’s already up to something. Kurt has to catch up.

“We’ll have to do something special,” Kurt responds noncommittally so as not to give himself away. Soon, the entire first year of their marriage will have gone by. Every single day on the calendar will be a day spent committed to loving Blaine. And they’ll face every day on the calendar again. When it comes to their life together, a year doesn’t seem long at all – they’ve been in love far longer than that – but it’s been a pretty damn special year that deserves commemoration.

“I’m not hinting.” Blaine protests mildly. “It doesn’t have to be grand.”

Kurt kisses him for distraction and because he can. He couldn’t feel any more in love with Blaine than he does now, with Blaine swiffering the floor on the other side of the bathroom door, Blaine’s hair springing up while Kurt’s falls flat with the exertion, both in clothes they don’t care about, both sweating from the dancing and the tidying up. Kurt holds back his hands so he doesn’t get his chemicals and grime on Blaine.

“Ooh, I love this song!” Blaine’s whole body lights up. Every time he hears the new song that ends the commercial break, Kurt hears how much Blaine loves it. It may be hard for Blaine to express the less pleasant emotions, but he doesn’t hold back when it comes to declaring who and what he loves.

Blaine holds out his hand. “May I have this dance?”

Kurt gives something between a bow and a curtsey in response. He drapes his arms over Blaine’s shoulders, Kurt’s yellow rubber gloves careful not to make contact. Blaine waltzes him around the chaotic apartment, guiding him through moved furniture and piles of cleaning supplies crooning along with the song he loves. Once Kurt is done cleaning the tub, they’ll enjoy a well-earned and much-needed shower. It’s the perfect incentive to not get distracted midway through their domestic project, but they can’t seem to help themselves. Blaine can make even cleaning their apartment romantic. Which means an actual important event that’s only a month away is going to be even more over-the-top.

For once, Kurt is going to out-grand gesture Blaine.

***

“It can’t be done,” Rachel tells Kurt when he goes to her for advice. “You can’t outdo an inherently dramatic performer like Blaine. He’ll sense it and raise the bar even higher. You’re officially resigned to a life of being shown up.”

“The fact that he’s so good at big romantic gestures is exactly why I need to step it up. He’s planning something already, and it’s going to be thoughtful, and sweet. The first year is the paper anniversary, and Blaine has all the paper skills. He has origami, and scrapbooking, and sketching something other than fashion designs, and you know he’s going to make it a grand event. I can’t show up with personalized stationary and call it good enough.”

“I bet Blaine will _like_ personalized stationary.”

That’s true. But just because Blaine will be satisfied with something simple and ordinary like monogrammed stationary doesn’t mean Kurt is about to settle. It’s too soon into their marriage to stop putting in a little effort. Blaine knows Kurt loves him, that Kurt isn’t as good at vocalizing, at expressing himself as well as he wants to. He loses words when he feels too much. But Blaine deserves the best he can do.

“I bet _you_ could out-drama Blaine.” Kurt gives Rachel a knowing look and waits for the compliment to worth its magic.

Rachel thinks for a moment, eager to prove she can compete."Let's see - paper awards are rarely satisfying, as they're usually for things like _participation_ , so don't make him one of those, even if it says something like Best Husband Ever. The implicit message isn't strong enough. A fake playbill of your love story would be sweet but would have to be extremely well executed and you have to write a lot of thoughtful things and come up with a clever name. You'll need a frame as well, or a playbill binder, because a shoebox doesn't make the right impression even if it's the right material."

“Um, maybe.” They’re not bad ideas, but they don’t seem right for him.

“No, no, neither of those are grand enough. I can go far bigger! Just give me a moment I’ll think of a good one.” Rachel closes her eyes. They fly open again when an idea hits her. “A ticker-tape parade! You know, like they do for returning astronauts and sports stars.”

“How long do you think it will take to get the city of New York on board?” He should have started planning as soon as he slipped a ring on Blaine’s finger. He wouldn’t put that much planning past Blaine.

“You can have an unofficial one. Line friends up along the windows with confetti and bribe your neighbors across the way to play along.”

“That’s just called littering.” Blaine definitely won’t like littering as a romantic gesture.

Rachel huffs. “Clearly my ideas are too clever for mass appeal. You know that was a good one!”

Kurt purses his lips sympathetically. “You should save it for your own. I’ll figure something else out.”

***

Kurt tries Santana and Brittany next. He schedules a pre-anniversary Skype call with them when he’s certain Blaine is any class. It only feels a little devious to have a carefully planned secret meeting. He looks over his shoulder as an extra precaution before asking, “Do you have any anniversary ideas?”

“Why don’t you just invite yourselves over to our party and call it tradition.” Affection fills Santana’s snark.

“I love that tradition!” Brittany pumps her fist.

“You and me both. I’m taking complete personal credit for your wedding. You’re welcome.”

“Thank you both,” Kurt says with a smile to move the conversation along, because he is grateful for their hand in propelling him and Blaine down the aisle, but he also has a limited amount of time in which to sort out his anniversary plans and he’ll need help if it’s going to be epic. “Take credit for my fabulous anniversary plans next? The first year is the paper anniversary.”

“In that case, I’m also a big fan of money.” Santana smirks at her own joke.

“What are you two doing?” Kurt asks. “I keep having boring ideas like organizing his sheet music.”

“Go weirder,” Santana recommends.

“A coupon booklet for hugs and kisses,” Brittany suggests.

“Getting weirder.” Santana squeezes Brittany’s knee encouragingly.

“And horizontal hugs and kisses.”

“I think that’s just self-prostitution, Brit.”

Kurt ignores them. “I could just print out some of our wedding pictures like we’ve been meaning to do. Is it cheating to also get frames?”

“Bigger than that, shit, Kurt, that’s like the most obvious thing. Where are the doves pooping glitter type of ideas?”

“I don’t think birds can poop paper. I think that’s just regular bird poop, because Pavarotti ate paper all the time and not once did I clean up confetti.”

“Well, go bigger. If you’re thinking bedside portrait, Blaine’s thinking lifesize poster, or….holy shit.” Santana cackles and covers her mouth.

“What?”

“Lifesize cardboard standups.”

The words take a moment to click with the memory. “Sue had those creepy stand-ins with our wedding suits.”

“Your faces were hilarious,” Santana says. He isn’t certain if she means on the cardboard or in real life.

Kurt remembers that moment. He remembers the look at Blaine’s face when he couldn’t hold Kurt’s gaze while they talked about what they wanted and his eyes strayed to those stand-ins in those suits instead.

“I need those creepy stand-ins,” Kurt says with absolute conviction.

“For real?”

Kurt can’t believe he’s about to ask, but… “How does one get in touch with Sue Sylvester these days?”

***

The cardboard cutouts are just their heads. Sue texts him a picture as proof that they’re unharmed – the fact that he’s texting Sue Sylvester like she’s an acquaintance who hasn’t locking him in an elevator doesn’t leave _Kurt_ feeling unharmed himself – and they look so disconcerting on their own. The last time Kurt saw the cardboard heads, they were on the mannequins holding the wedding suits when Kurt and Blaine were left alone to change. They were standing in their socks and little else trading reassuring kisses, tossing the wedding party suits toward their 2D selves and then feeling bad about it because the suits were white and they were in a barn, when Blaine had giggled that they were leaving themselves naked by removing the wedding suits. Kurt’s fingers shook buttoning Blaine’s mannequin back up in the clothes that had been on Blaine a moment ago. Blaine didn't fair much better with Kurt’s. 

For the full effect, Kurt needs to order bodies for them. He sends wedding photos to the office supply store Sue has on retainer for reference. Sue drops them off the heads for him so they can be matched to their bodies. The printer offers him Sue’s discounts. Sue apparently buys weird shit from them in bulk.

His dad and Carole have better things to do than drive cardboard for 12 hours, so the completed cardboard cutouts get shipped. Because 1) New York is full of thieves that make leaving packages outside of an apartment door ill-advised, and 2) Blaine and Kurt don’t have a doorman to accept a package on their behalf, the cutouts arrive at the Vogue office under Isabelle’s care. She agrees to let him know as soon as his unusual package arrives.   ~~~~

“Look who came to visit!” Isabelle beckons him closer for a hug. “Tell me you’ll let me keep this one with me to help me through all fashion-writing emergencies. I could at least hold outfits against him.”

“Can’t. They’re a matched set. They're meant to be together.” Kurt bounces on his heels. His cutouts look even more amazing now that they’re attached to matching cutout bodies. Blaine looks a little smug, Kurt dreamy, same as he remembers them. Kurt pats them both down for bugs, soothing as he goes, “You're safe now. It’s okay. You’ll be home where you belong."

Isabelle watches in polite bafflement. "Were they prisoners of war?" 

"You don't even know how close that is to true." Kurt takes a longer sweep of Blaine’s figure in his search for recording/tracking devices.

“Do you need a moment alone?” Isabelle teases.

“He’s so handsome even when he’s flat.” Kurt pets at the smooth printed texture.

“Kissable too, but it’ll warp if you get it wet. Don’t waterlog his lips before your handsome husband gets to see.”

Kurt would be tempted if the real man weren’t an option, like he was tempted all those years ago by that headshot-like school photo Blaine handed as freely as he dispensed naïve wisdom. Kurt has a guaranteed lifetime of kisses, no coupon book necessary.

“I won’t make my cardboard-self jealous.” Kurt fusses over how he positions them. They’re so cute side by side.

Isabelle takes his hands. “Tell me about your inspiration. It seems like there’s a story here.”

Isabelle asks without a hint that she thinks Kurt’s anniversary present is ridiculous. She has a gift for setting Kurt at ease to open up.

"They were looking back on us when we knew it was right. Look at Blaine’s face. He looks so sure. Seeing them standing there like – it wasn’t the day I expected but I knew what I wanted. I wanted what they had. I wanted to make it real.”

Blaine will understand. Kurt knows just the face he thinks he’ll get when he brings this reminder of their wedding day home, complete with silent delighted gasp. Their wedding day was such a whirlwind, but they’ll always remember the moment they decided that it would be _their_ day. No more waiting. No more uncertainty. Just a vision of Blaine looking smug and Kurt looking like he’s in a dream come true.

He doesn't trust the general population of New York around his fragile anniversary gift, so when it’s time to go and let Isabelle get back to work, he calls an Uber. The Uber driver has clearly seen it all because she doesn't bat an eye when Kurt buckles his own likeness into the backseat alongside his husband’s.

He makes sure to tip well anyway. 

***

“This is fucking weird,” might as well be Elliott’s customary greeting for Kurt and Kurt’s friends. He says it again as he watches Kurt haul the wedding stand-ins up the last flight of stairs, awkward in his attempt to be careful with a version of himself and a version Blaine tucked under each arm.

“Acknowledged. Be helpful.”

“Blaine is really going to think this is romantic?” Elliott looks from Kurt to his 2D version.

“‘Fucking weird’ is like our mantra.”

“Wanky.”

It’s not the worst habit to pick up from Santana, but Kurt still levels Elliott with a judgmental look.

“Right, helping.” Elliott holds the door open wide for Kurt and his cardboard cutouts. “How long until your anniversary? I’m not going to be able to have anyone over as long as these are here.”

“Well, you’ll have the perfect number for a tea party already,” Kurt snarks.

Despite his good-natured wariness at being used like this, Elliott fully embraces their presence in his apartment less than 24 hours later. He sends pictures of the cutouts dressed in aprons while he makes curry, earning a stern warning from Kurt about minding splash zones. Later pictures feature Elliott’s Starchild top hat; seasonally premature Christmas lights; the covers on Elliott’s bed with just their eyes and noses visible while Elliott reads them a story; and Elliott blowing air kisses to each of their paper cheeks in turn while sandwiched between them.

Kurt can’t wait to show Blaine all the fun their alter egos have had already. Blaine will be fully on-board with playing this game.

***

On the morning of their anniversary, Kurt wakes up cold. He feels around in the dark for Blaine, who is usually happily overheating them both at Kurt’s side, and then opens his eye to confirm he’s actually in bed alone. Blaine often wakes before Kurt, but Kurt usually notices. A glance at the clock on their nightstand confirms it’s too early for even Blaine to be chipper about being awake. He doesn’t smell breakfast or hear Blaine’s music playing. He creeps out of their bedroom.

Paper snowflakes as delicate as lace hang from strings attaching to the ceiling, pristine and white like the snow they imitate. They hang low enough that Kurt can reach up and touch them. They flutter throughout the entire apartment. Paper doves fly on their cabinets. Chains of paper hearts trim every doorway. The fantastical attention to detail is so ornate it seems more appropriate for a holiday window display.

Underneath it all, Blaine sprawls on the couch, fast asleep.

Kurt creeps closer. Blaine looks so peaceful, his hand dangling over the side, lips parted slightly in his sleep. Kurt gives into the temptation to drop to his knees and cover Blaine’s lips with his own.

Blaine blinks into the kiss. “Good morning.”

“The apartment looks magical.” Blaine has a gift for making any circumstances beautiful.

Blaine squirms with pride.

“You’re going to be so tired later,” Kurt scolds without heat. He gestures for Blaine to scoot over. The couch isn’t wide enough for both of them, but it’s not like either of them is looking for space right now. Kurt’s arm slides over Blaine’s waist. Blaine holds it there. Elliott will bring over Kurt’s gift later, but basking in Blaine’s cleverness is another way for Kurt to show his appreciation. They both stare up at the wonderland Blaine created. “Tell me about your artistic vision.”

“Hmm. Well, it’s our paper anniversary.” Blaine’s voice is thick with sleep.

“I know.” Kurt will show Blaine how well he knows later.

“And I thought to myself, ‘What kind of fire hazard will my husband tolerate?’”

 “ _Love_ ,” Kurt corrects. “Let’s not just not light candles anytime soon.”

“Thank goodness for rental insurance and fire extinguishers. And I wanted to make our home festive. It’s a little early for a winter theme, but snow always make me think of you.”

“It makes me think of you, too.” The paper snowflakes sway above them as the radiator clanks to life. Kurt will be tempted to keep the silly impractical things forever. “What’s the theme for the second year?”

“Cotton,” Blaine responds without having to look it up.

“Sounds promising.” Kurt can work with cotton. If Blaine remembers, that means he’s likely already planning something for that anniversary as well.

“The year after that is leather.”

Kurt giggles into Blaine’s shoulder. “And then what?”

“Don’t remember. We’ll get there, though.”

“We will.” Kurt tucks his chin into Blaine’s shoulder, delighting in the heat radiating through him. He’ll start figuring out what to do for their cotton anniversary tomorrow.


End file.
